The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841.Pelham, Camden
History
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841.
Pelham, Camden
Crime -- Great Britain; Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England)
They crossed a small part of Lord Eglinton's estate, in order to reach
the sea-shore, where they intended to walk; but when they arrived at
this spot it was near noon, and Lord Eglinton came up in his coach,
attended by Mr. Wilson, a carpenter, who was working for him, and
followed by four servants on horseback. On approaching the coast his
lordship met Bartleymore, who told him that there were some poachers at
a distance. Mr. Wilson would have endeavoured to draw off his lordship's
notice from such a business; but Bartleymore saying that Campbell was
among the poachers, Lord Eglinton quitted his coach, and mounting a led
horse, rode to the spot, where he saw Campbell and the other officer,
whose name was Brown. His lordship said, "Mr. Campbell, I did not expect
to have found you so soon again on my grounds, after your promise when
you shot the hare. I must desire that you will give me your gun." Mr.
Campbell refused to deliver up his property, because he said that he was
not employing it in an unlawful manner, on which Lord Eglinton rode
towards him, apparently with the intention of taking it from him. Mr.
Campbell on this raised his gun, and retreating, presented it at his
lordship's body; but the latter still followed him, and smiling, asked
him if he meant to shoot him. He said that he would if he did not keep
off, and then Lord Eglinton desired that his gun should be brought to
him from the carriage. In the interim, his lordship dismounted, and
going close to Mr. Campbell, again required that he should deliver up
the weapon which he carried, but the latter declared that he had a right
to carry it, and that he would deliver it to no man, and repeated that
his lordship must therefore keep off, unless he wished to be shot.
Bartleymore now interfered; and Mr. Campbell stumbling against a stone,
fell, and Lord Eglinton then advanced as if to seize him. In a moment,
however, Mr. Campbell raised himself on his elbow, and lodged the
contents of his piece in the noble earl's left breast. His lordship
directly cried out that he was killed, and Mr. Campbell was seized; but
his lordship desired that no violence should be used towards him.
Lord Eglinton's seat was about three miles from the place where this
fatal event happened; and his servants put him into the carriage to
convey him home. In the mean time Campbell's hands were tied behind him;
and he was conducted to the town of Saltcoats, the place of his former
station as an exciseman.
His lordship, after languishing for ten hours, died; and Mr. Campbell
was then committed to the jail of Ayr to await his trial.
Upon his being arraigned upon the indictment preferred against him,
various arguments were urged in his favour. It was said--"That the gun
went off by accident, and therefore it could be no more than casual
homicide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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